 There are different techniques in clay modelling. One of the techniques involves building forms using coils of clay. This technique is well-suited for creating free-flowing, curved shapes. However, it's less suitable if you want to incorporate sharp angles into your sculpture. Another technique involves building with clay slabs. This method is ideal for creating geometric shapes. A third technique, which I won't discuss here, involves building with small pieces of clay. |
| Finally, you can also create your sculpture by cutting or scraping parts from a large lump of clay. This technique won't be discussed here. Of course, you can always combine different techniques, which is often the case in practice. Here, I'll start by rolling out a clay slab to create the base of my sculpture. |
 To make a clay slab, you'll need 2 equally thick strips of wood. The length of the strips depends on how large you want the slab to be, but usually around 40 cm is enough. You'll also need a roller, which could be a rolling pin, a piece of broom handle, or thick round wood. A length of about 30 cm is usually sufficient for this purpose.Start by placing the strips of wood apart from each other. Place them as far apart as necessary for the size you want to make. Here, I've placed them about 20 cm apart. Fill the space between the strips with small pieces of clay and press them firmly. Make sure the clay is slightly above the level of the strips.. |
 Clay dries out very quickly and becomes less pleasant to work with. Therefore, cover the clay you're not using with a damp cloth. I personally use those inexpensive yellow plastic cloths for this purpose. They have a good size, and when they get very dirty, you can wash them or replace them easily. |
 You can also cover your workpiece with such a cloth if you need to take a break in between. This ensures that your clay remains soft and easy to work with. Just make sure the cloth is not too wet. Damp is enough. |
 Once the slab is large enough, flatten the pieces with the rolling pin or round stick. Make sure the rolling pin rolls over the laths at the sides, ensuring that your slab is evenly thick everywhere. Don't roll too hard yet; it's best if the slab remains slightly thicker than the laths. |
 Carefully lift the slab from the surface and flip it over. You'll notice that the underside still has some hollows. Use the rolling pin to flatten this side as well, ensuring there are no air pockets trapped in the clay. |
 The clay slab is finished, and I need three round shapes as the bottom plates for my project. I cut the round shapes using a knife along a template. I'm using a glass as a template here, but you can also use a drum or a vase. You can cut out other shapes from the clay slabs in the same way. |
 Here are the three round bottom plates that I'm going to use in my project. Since I used a template, they are neatly shaped and all the same size. Of course, you can also cut out freeform shapes from clay slabs, it depends on what you prefer. If you're not going to use them right away, it's best to cover them again with a damp cloth. |
 I want to build shapes on the base plates using clay coils, so I'm preparing some coils in advance. I'll cover them again with a damp cloth if I'm not going to use them right away. |
 To ensure that the coils adhere well to the base plate, I stick them together with clay slip. This sticking together is something you always do when you want to join different parts together, such as attaching a handle to a jug or joining multiple clay slabs. Even if you've left a piece of work for a while and want to continue, you attach the first clay coil again with slip to ensure a good bond. Once you're working, you don't need to reapply slip to subsequent coils each time.You make clay slip by dissolving a piece of clay in water. The clay slip should be about as thick as full-fat yogurt. You can apply the slip with your finger or with a brush, whichever you prefer. |
 Sticking the different parts together is not only for better adhesion but also to ensure that no air remains trapped between the parts. Before applying the slip to the parts to be joined, scratch the area where the slip will be applied with a scoring tool. Do this in a crisscross pattern. |
 Here you can see how slip is applied with a brush over the scratched area. Do this carefully and make sure the scratches are filled with slip. |
 I also scratch the clay roll. Then slip is applied to the scratches. |
 Now I place the clay coil on the base plate. I flatten the beginning of the coil a bit so that the next layer transitions smoothly. Place the coil so that the thickest part slightly extends beyond the edge of the base plate. |
 Make the wall higher by adding more layers. It doesn’t matter how long the coils are; flatten the beginning and end of each coil slightly and overlap them. When you have about three coils stacked on top of each other, use your thumb to press the coils together. Gently go over the coils from top to bottom. Do this for both the inside and outside. |
 Once the clay coils blend nicely and the wall is evenly thick everywhere, continue building. Always stack layers of two or more coils. Make sure to place the coils directly above each other, and when smoothing, avoid pushing all the clay downward. The clay pushed down while smoothing should be pushed back up. Essentially, you are filling the gaps between two coils when smoothing. Press straight down and straight up, avoiding too much inward or outward pressure, which can alter your shape. It takes some practice, but careful work will yield the best results. |
 If you want to widen the shape, place the clay coils slightly further outward. To narrow it, do the opposite and place the coils slightly inward. The further outward you place the coils in one go, the sharper the curve will be. |
 When placing the coils further outward, the shape changes not only on the outside but also on the inside. It’s easier to smooth each coil before starting a new layer. Pay closer attention to the shape. To achieve a smooth exterior, you can also use a rib tool to smooth it out. If the shape gets a bit off, gently tap your workpiece with a flat wooden spatula to get the shape back. Avoid pushing with your hands, as this will deform the piece on the other side. |
 I want to give my piece a bulge. The part where the shape gets thicker is done. Now I want to make the shape narrower again. During the process, the top layer became uneven because the clay coils are never exactly the same thickness. Therefore, I cut the top flat with a knife, as you can see here. Then I continued building with coils, placing them slightly inward each time. |
 After much effort, my piece is finished. I ultimately made three shapes and combined them. Once I’m satisfied with the base, I smooth the exterior with a rib tool. Now the piece can dry, be fired, and possibly glazed. |
 After bisque firing, I apply a thick layer of cherry-red glaze. The piece is then fired at around 1050 degrees. After firing, the glaze turns a beautiful red with some light spots that give the piece a playful look. |